Take it to the Max
by moonbeamsunshine
Summary: What if one day you woke up to find yourself a character in your fave book? Read on to see the burdens and surprises that come along with being yourself AND Maximum Ride. Rated T for some language and suggestive content. oh my gawddd thats just so awesome


**Author's Note/Disclaimer**

**I own none of the characters in this story—they are all copyrights of the awesome James Patterson. **

**This is in **_**my **_**point of view** **if I woke up one day to find myself in the body of Maximum Ride, along with the burden of saving the world on my shoulders, and oh, yeah—**_**wings**_

**WARNING: only read this if you've read MR3: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports. This takes place three days after MR3 left off. **

**BTW, I was bored one day—so this is just the stupid stuff I came up with that eventually spiraled out of control. So if you think it's awful, yeah, I agree. **

**JR**

Chap 1

My eyes fluttered open and darkness blinded me. Was there a blackout or something? My feet felt _really _heavy. Like I had boots on. I reached over for my cell phone in the gloom and instead grabbed a warm hand. I shrieked and recoiled, only to realize I wasn't in my bed anymore. The ground was hard and gravelly beneath me.

"Max? Are you OK?" A deep voice murmured from somewhere in the black.

Then I felt a fabric being pulled from my face, and it wasn't so dark anymore. I could clearly see a pair of concerned eyes hovering over me with ebony hair.

"Um…where am I?" My question seemed somewhat strangled with shock.

The handsome face quirked an eyebrow, then turned and whispered, "Nudge, hand me that water bottle right there."

A torrent of icy water flowed all over my face and into my mouth. I sat up, coughing and sputtering. "Ugh! What the heck is your problem?" I saw I had combat boots on. Oh, that explained a lot.

There was giggling. I looked to my left and saw a girl with brown curls staring at me, laughing. "Fang," she gasped, "Max is going crazy."

"She's always been," replied the dark-haired guy.

Okay. What was going on? I remember going to sleep in my bed, in my room, in my _house_, and now I wake up and…_was hearing the names of characters from a book._ This would be the perfect opportunity to get slapped in the face. Would someone be so kind as to just rough me up a bit, give me a taste of freaking _reality_!

I stood up, and saw three other kids. One was a tall and lanky strawberry-blond-haired guy (asleep), another was haphazardly strewn across some rocks, snoring loudly with his blond curls quivering over his nose, he looked about eight or so, and the other was a young girl, wide-awake, staring at me round blue eyes and clutching a winged teddy-bear to her chest.

"Um," I addressed everyone, not knowing what else to do. "I'm going now."

Then I walked out of their little clearing. I could feel their eyes watching me, astounded.

"Wait!" a little voice cried. I turned. It was the blond girl. Her curls bounced as she ran to me and hugged me around my middle. Surprised, I could think of nothing to do but pat her head tentatively.

"You can't leave," tears streamed down her cheeks. "This isn't a dream, Max."

Gazing around me at the other kids, then back to the girl. "_I'm_ Maximum Ride? And you're Angel? And you guys are…?" I trailed off.

The six-year old nodded exuberantly. A coal-colored hairy lump trotted over to us and exclaimed, "My God! You don't even know your own _name_? Do you have amnesia?"

I rolled my eyes. "If I had amnesia, Total, I would've screamed and flung you all the way to Mars."

Total eyed me quizzically. "You have a point there."

Angel led me by the hand to the fire and I plopped down next to Fang. By now, everyone was awake. Angel left and went over to Nudge and Gasman, who were peering at me warily through the flames on the other side. Iggy's blind eyes were turned toward me, his mouth stretched into a confused frown. I smiled reassuringly as Angel whispered fervently amongst them; apparently trying to convince them I was fine.

"You okay?"

I was startled, forgetting Fang was beside me. "I'm fine…I think I'm starting to remember." My eyes contemplated the flickering movements of the flames. "Yeah, like when Iggy made strawberry shortcake with the strawberries we would pick…" I licked my lips, the taste of the cream and strawberries coming back to me with astounding force. "And when Gazzy was little, he could stink up a whole room, and still can." I laughed. "When Angel got that old lady to buy that bear…" My voice became quieter. "When I killed Ari…" My tone was but a whisper. "When you kissed me."

His eyes bore like lasers into mine. Strong, dark, unfathomable. I leaned in, instinct propelling me, breathing in Fang's scent. He came closer too. I suddenly pulled back, catching him off guard, and got up and bolted.

_Why is this happening? Is this some torturous dream?_ My thoughts were muddled and confused. My legs pumped hard and fast beneath me as I zoomed at breakneck speed. Tears trailed across my cheeks into my hair and I fiercely wiped them away. My mind felt like someone had scrambled my thoughts, skewered them, tossed them in the disposal, and thrown them halfway to Antarctica.

Then I smacked right into a wall. The wall's arms encircled me like a boa constrictor and held me tight. I buried my face into a black jacket and cried. Just bawled like a blubbering idiot. When my sobs had calmed down, I backed away from Fang and sat mechanically on the leaf-littered ground. Fang's dark figure settled beside me without a sound, and his presence was somewhat comforting.

I cleared my throat. "Sorry."

He toyed with a dead leaf and crushed it into a fine powder in his olive-skinned fist.

"I just—can't believe this is real," I whispered.

Silence.

"Fang—" I began.

He hushed me with a look. "I don't know what's going on with you. Whether it's amnesia, or whatever. But you are remembering," the suggestive sideways glance. "Don't give up because of this. You're Max Ride. Face it."

My jaw had dropped with the amount of words he had uttered. I recovered. "I wasn't giving up," I croaked. "I thought this was a dream." A blush crept across my cheeks and he caught it and flushed too.

"Let's get back," he proposed.

Without hesitation, I jumped up and sped after Fang's receding figure.

The flock looked up as we entered the clearing. Angel, Nudge, Gasman, and Total's eyes were studying me intently. I smiled and winked at them. Nudge laughed nervously, assured, and hopped over to me. "Hey Max, can we go to a 7-11?"

I pondered this. "Um, sure, I'll go with you. We need more Vienna Sausages,—" She stuck her tongue out and made a "blech" sound. "—salad mixes, and bottled water." Nudge grinned at the mention of the salad mixes.

"We should make the best use of convenience stores while the world is still whole," Iggy stated matter-of-factly. "So chuck in some Slushies too."

The flock laughed, and I wished Ig could see me roll my eyes. Nudge followed me out of the clearing. Then I realized we had a hitchhiker.

I whirled on him. "Why are _you_ coming?"

Fang was straight-faced and expressionless. "To make sure you don't ditch."

Narrowing my eyes, I snarled, "What? Afraid I'll leave your sorry ass to rot?"

As swift as an arrow, he pinned me to the nearest tree, his rock hard chest against mine, arms on either side of my head. I become conscious that Nudge had left our pleasant company and mentally slapped myself for starting this.

Fang's voice came as a low murmur. "No, I'm afraid that you'll leave _us_ to find _your _lost life." His words stung like a hot poker.

I opened my mouth. Then closed it. Then opened it again, "I won't. I mean—I can't. You guys are my life. I _live _for you guys. Without you," I measured my words carefully. "…I wouldn't have a purpose." Fang's jaw twitched, which was the only show of expression on his handsome face. He backed away and started for the store.

"Coming?" His eyes flicked to mine.

If I'm going nuts, I might as well do it thoroughly.

Then I paused in mid-step. Fang's gaze hovered over me. Why did he look at me like that? Like he _loved_ me? Did he always do that?

My memories confirmed that, yeah, he pretty much did.

"Yeah. I'm coming."

Entering into the realm of insanity.

God help me.

Chap 2

My new fave past time: _flying_.

It's seriously healing. Like therapy in motion. The sensation of being lifted up by updrafts of air and angling my wings to glide is just—awesome. The memories were nothing compared to this. It was natural. Yet judging by the weird looks thrown at me by Fang, I probably looked _too_ happy. Note for the future: look "normal" when in flight.

It had been after we had gone to 7-11 that I realized that I actually _was _Max. Completely.

I had been at 7-11, examining the chips display in the back. Fang was at the Slushie machine, attempting to fill seven cups. My eyes alighted upon a bag of Fritos, and I reached for it. I don't know if it was the way I had angled my shoulder, but I felt it. Once my shoulder had moved inward, a soft, wiry appendage brushed against my back. My insides went numb when I realized what they were. And even stranger—_they were a part of me_. Like my arms. Maneuvering my shoulder blades gently, I shrugged my wings out of their hollows on either sides of my spine, feeling my feathers loosen. They stretched out of my sweatshirt a smidgen, and I saw light tan with brown and speckles. I heard a cough a little away and looked up at Fang's startled, livid expression. I retracted them in so quickly I winced, and then made sure the cashier with the turban had seen nothing.

And that was how I discovered my wings. Yep.

Gazzy pointed excitedly at the display of shoes at the Vans store. "Max, can I design my own pair? I want green and black ones!"

I grimaced. The mall was Angel and Nudge's idea. The _perfect_ combo of hordes of people and salesmen coming up to you with a need for breath mints urging you to sign up for the blah blah blah contest.

"Maybe. We need to get clothes first, but," I looked at his holey shoes. "I think you do need some new ones."

"Oh my gosh!" Nudge gawked at the glittering display of diamond earrings and pearl necklaces.

Moving on, we stopped at Abercrombie & Fitch. Best known for the overpowering scent of gagging-perfume/cologne. Though brimming with well-made sweats and shirts and stuff.

"Why are we here?" Fang asked, apparently annoyed at the lack of black.

I rolled my eyes. "For the kids. They're really good for sweats and stuff like that. We'll go to Hot Topic after, okay?"

Fang seemed relieved. Then he picked up a lacey pink camisole and held it for me to see. "This would look great on you," he snickered.

I whacked him, forgetting that we probably looked like immature brats.

"Hey!" a snobby voice scolded.

I turned to see a girl with long, groomed glossy blonde hair and a large chest glaring at me distastefully. Then she saw Fang and her eyes bulged. She came closer to him, and then asked coyly, "Can I help you?" By "you" she clearly meant Fang. A flare of anger flamed up in my throat.

Fang wasn't even looking at her. He answered blatantly and with a tinge of irritation, "No thank you." His tenebrous eyes held mine and the fire of jealousy died down and was replaced with satisfaction. I was startled by my emotional range. Why would I be jealous of that skank?

The girl looked from him to me, let down, and stormed off.

Ha.

_He's mine_. The phrase flashed briefly in my mind. I exploded to my subconscious: _Shut up_!

_Fang is ours. _

_SHUT UP! I DON'T LIKE HIM THAT WAY!_

How pathetic is that? I didn't even have a voice anymore, yet was having conversations between my subconscious and consciousness! I _was _insane. Next I'll start calling him "My Precious." Uh, no I won't.

I shivered involuntarily, and chanced a glance in the full-length mirror adjacent to a wall shelved with various washes of denim. A fleeting glimpse showed me long, blonde-streaked hair, pale, freckled skin, and _brown eyes_.

Those weren't my eyes.

They were Max's.

My stomach dropped a billion miles below sea level, and, seeing my contorted-in-nausea expression Fang stared back at me in the reflection of the mirror, concerned.

And that did it.

I puked all over the floor in Abercrombie & Fitch.

Chap 3

"It was, like, rainbow! That was amazing, Max!" Gasman gushed for the millionth time. "Did you see that lady? She was gagging!"

I turned to him and stared him down. "You want to know who'll be at the end of _this _rainbow?" I mimed vomiting on him.

Gasser waved a hand in front of his nose, mock-disgusted. "Ew. Barf-breath."

Fang came up beside me. "Are you sure you can walk? I can carry—" I slapped him on the back of the head. He chuckled and slid in step next to Ig. They mumbled and Iggy laughed. Hmm…_suspicious_. Whatever. Boys.

Nudge and Angel walked on either side of me, with Total at Angel's side. Nudge said consolingly, "'S okay, Max, you just need rest and some TLC." I gaped at her like she had just uttered every known swear word.

"What? You're not feeling good, so that means that we have to take care of you." She grinned.

I smiled back. "Thanks, but I'm fine now." She looked disappointed, so I added, "But some rest _would_ be nice."

Just out of curiosity—how would you react if six "disheveled" kids waltzed into a five-star-fancy-shmancy-chocolates-on-the-pillow hotel? And, oh, I don't know, they happened to be genetically engineered to fly and had assorted freakish talents such as telekinesis?

Just curious. You know me.

This is _my_ impression of what happened in a dramatic play form.

Fang: (all swanky) Hello. I would like a suite, please.

Hotel Clerk: (makes a face like he has crap under his nose) Excuse me?

Fang: I would like to stay in a suite.

Hotel Clerk: _Excuse _me?

Okay, cut. I would've blown right there and then. I would've snapped, "Are you freaking _deaf_? I asked for a suite! You are a bleeping idiot!" This just spells out how different Fang and I are.

Fang opened his mouth to retort something, but Angel pitched in. I won't delve into the whole process, 'cause a six-year old manipulating a stranger with her mind sometimes gives people the "heebie-jeebies".

I slid the key-card in and the little light turned green, then with a soft _click_, the door unlocked and we gazed, thunderstruck at our room. To the right was a full kitchenette complete with microwave and a basket of various hot-chocolate mixes and garnished with a vase of lilies set upon the polished surface of a marble countertop. The left side was a very plush sofa and a flat screen TV. I heard Gazzy gasp behind me and he rushed to the flat screen in awe. Oh yeah, laugh at the deprived avian kids!

The left section branched off to a pristine bathroom and a bedroom with two beds. The right side had a closed door that opened into the master bedroom, with _chocolates on the pillows._ It was a humongo canopy-bed with a memory foam mattress and even a cute little lamp above each side of the bed for late-night reading. The sheets were a soft shade of purple, like lavender or something.

And the pillows were big and ultra-soft.

Perfect for a pillow fight.

"Nudge! Gazzy! Stop throwing pillows!" I cried as the two of them bombarded each other with the lavender pillows from the beds. I heard Iggy go "Oomph!" as Gazzy threw one right at his stomach.

"Gotcha!" The Gasman yelled triumphantly.

"Not for long," said Iggy as he picked up the pillow and threw it accidentally at Fang on the head.

"Hey, watch it, Jeff," Fang replied with a smirk as he sent yet another pillow flying into the air and hitting Iggy.

Total ducked under a chair as the Gasman sidestepped a pillow thrown by Nudge.

I put two fingers in my mouth and blew as hard as I could. The whistle was piercing and everyone stopped in mid-fight.

"That's better," I murmured. "Now everyone get ready for bed."

The flock grumbled but went to their backpacks. I felt like a mother duck watching her little ducklings.

Ha ha ha. Mama Max. That is just _way_ too funny.

I rubbed my eyes and yawned. I grabbed my toothbrush and pj pants and headed for the bathroom. I turned the cold glass of the doorknob.

"Max!" I heard a deep voice yelp. Fang hurriedly reached for a towel, but too late, I had already seen too much. I quickly closed the door and started hyperventilating. It just _had _to be Fang.

Clutching my toothbrush and pj's, I rushed to the master bathroom, and locked the door. I staggered to the sink and splashed icy water on my face.

_Relax, Max_, I tried to console myself.

I blinked and realized I would be scarred for the rest of my life. _Hey Jacobe, man, do I have a story to tell…_I laughed at the thought of me on the MTV show _Scarred_.

Then I frowned. I was really going nuts, wasn't I?

My mind pretty much confirmed that yeah, I was.

**Note: This was a long draft I threw together and decided to post 3 chapters together. However, after this I will post only one chapter at a time--I don't want to have to make anyone wait 2 weeks or more! I should have broken up the chapters, I know, and I'm sorry!**


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